Ah winter time is here, a time for fellowship and eggnog, a time for mistletoe and wine and time for rusty chains and birch branches if you’re naughty. This time of year has so many colourful characters that I think should be celebrated and a few of you agree with me on that.

Here's how it works: You were asked to send me a list of your 25 favourite winter holiday characters of all time. The list was open to all sorts of characters, from those who lurk in our long forgotten dark and scary past to stop motion members of the sub-family Capreolinae. 12 ballots were received, and characters were ranked on a point system allowing 25 points for a #1 choice, 24 for a #2, and all the way down to 1 point for #25. The points were added up, and what follows are your selections.

Tiebreakers work like such: If two characters have equal points, the show that appeared on the most lists ranks higher. If those characters appeared on the same amount of lists, I went with whatever ranked highest on the individual list. A show that was someone's #4 beats another person's #6, for example. Then if they still were tied I just picked.*Since it is a documented fact that blokes who don’t have much hair on their head are generally utterly clueless about the festive season I’ve enlisted the help of a renowned expert in the field of the meaning of winter holidays. I’ve also invited commentary from an entity who has a deep and personal familiarity with this time of the year.

So, let’s get to the first of our 51 entries** shall we?

And while I’m creating the first post let’s listen to a song about the reason for the season shall we?

*As this is a time of traditions I’m going back to the original criteria.** There was a tie right at the bottom of the list so I thought I’d be inclusive and allow both (it’s in keeping with the season)

Lights, please: Sam the Snowman is a character from the Rankin/Bass special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Sam serves as the special's narrator, telling the story and performing songs with the accompaniment of his banjo, and inviting the audience to "pull up an iceblock and lend an ear."He was the first of many Rankin/Bass narrators, usually caricatures of their celebrity voice actors. In this case, Sam possesses Burl Ives' trademark beard and girth. Unlike many of the later narrators, Sam exists entirely outside of the main plot events, relating an item of past history but never interacting with the other characters (although he does mention that he told Hermey and Yukon Cornelius where to find Rudolph when they returned to the North Pole).

Lights, please: Good King Wenceslas is a popular Christmas carol about a king who goes out to give alms to a poor peasant on the Feast of Stephen (the second day of Christmas, December 26). During the journey, his page is about to give up the struggle against the cold weather, but is enabled to continue by following the king's footprints, step for step, through the deep snow. The legend is based on the life of the historical Saint Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia (907–935), known in the Czech language as Svatý Václav.In 1853, English hymnwriter John Mason Neale wrote the "Wenceslas" lyrics, in collaboration with his music editor Thomas Helmore, and the carol first appeared in Carols for Christmas-Tide, 1853 Neales' lyrics were set to a tune based on a 13th century spring carol "Tempus adest floridum" ("The time is near for flowering") first published in the 1582 Finnish song collection Piae Cantiones.Wenceslas was considered a martyr and a saint immediately after his death, when a cult of Wenceslas grew up in Bohemia and in England. Within a few decades of Wenceslas's death four biographies of him were in circulation. These hagiographies had a powerful influence on the High Middle Ages conceptualization of the rex justus, or "righteous king"—that is, a monarch whose power stems mainly from his great piety, as well as from his princely vigor.Referring approvingly to these hagiographies, the chronicler Cosmas of Prague, writing in about the year 1119, states:But his deeds I think you know better than I could tell you; for, as is read in his Passion, no one doubts that, rising every night from his noble bed, with bare feet and only one chamberlain, he went around to God’s churches and gave alms generously to widows, orphans, those in prison and afflicted by every difficulty, so much so that he was considered, not a prince, but the father of all the wretched.Several centuries later the legend was claimed as fact by Pope Pius II, who himself also walked ten miles barefoot in the ice and snow as an act of pious thanksgiving.Although Wenceslas was, during his lifetime, only a duke, Holy Roman Emperor Otto I posthumously "conferred on [Wenceslas] the regal dignity and title" and that is why, in the legend and song, he is referred to as a "king".The usual English spelling of Duke Wenceslas's name, Wenceslaus, is occasionally encountered in later textual variants of the carol, although it was not used by Neale in his version. Wenceslas is not to be confused with King Wenceslaus I of Bohemia (Wenceslaus I Premyslid), who lived more than three centuries later.

Lights, please: Robert Walker dressed up as "Santa Christ" for the Christmas 2009 videos with The Nostalgia Critic and has subsequently made appearances here and there. Basically he's a combination of both Christmas icons: Santa Claus and Jesus Christ. He also played a pivotal role in the Kickassia movie. He gives presents to everyone since he knows what people want and does MANY great things like hanging out with Mr. T, making pancakes and generally being a jovial guy.

The origin goes like this. From the words of Rob himself: "Doug was finishing up his Ernest Saves Christmas Review and asked me if I wanted to play what could possibly be the most loved character on the site. I said I was intrigued and told him pompously to “Go on.” He said it would be a combination of the two most lovable Christmas icons – Santa Claus and Jesus Christ, to create some sort of perfect, lovable, super character. Needless to say, I liked it. By being disguised under heavy costume, it tapped into my M.O. of always being a “character” behind the scenes. So I said, “Do lemmings like cliffs? Sure!” And the rest was history. In retrospect, though, we shelved the idea until the Star Wars Christmas special because it worked better.

Although Doug and I co-write most NC things, the concept was mostly his. Though, I think we both took inspiration from ACE RIMMER, the fictional character from Red Dwarf who’s the personification of all that is good and perfect – a badass saving the galaxy one second and reading to orphans the next. I have a theory that’s where most of the song lyrics came from. Yes, by the way, I do love pancakes.

The character performance was based on three sources. The first two are pretty obvious. I based them on South Park’s portrayal of Jesus Christ and Santa Claus. Really, the character is just a combination of Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s interpretations of those two icons basically rolled into one. I totally love their version of Jesus Christ because he is such a legitimately “nice guy.” And their version of Santa manages to be both jolly, laughable, authoritative, and just a tad messed up when pushed too far. The third inspiration was my Grandpa, who had this sardonic, booming voice, and a sarcastic way of saying things when he was being a smart ass or annoyed. That side of Santa Christ comes out whenever I get kind of snippy, like when talking to Lindsay in the Kickassia series, or when shrugging and handing people a Sega Genesis like, “Whatever.” I’m basically just doing my childhood memory’s impression of him.

I’m not sure where the whole obnoxious laughter thing came from. I think it’s just a combination of about a zillion things I saw as a kid where characters would laugh too much for no good reason to make themselves seem lovable. See: David the Gnome, Falcor the Luckdragon, that freaky tree from those old 80s Sunkist Fruit Snacks commercials, Jabba the Hutt. People complained that I looked at the camera too much, but Santa Christ is all about breaking the fourth wall. He likes it when the audience is in on the joke. Either that, or he’s staring into your soul to see if you’ve been naughty or nice. I’ve probably said more than you’ve ever wanted to know about this character."

There is one bit of trivia he added: "One thing we considered early on was having a crown of thorns wrapped around the red Santa cap. I figured, “Why not?” I mean, it came with the costume. Doug nixed the idea as “going too far.” That’s probably why he’s the director and I’m not."

Lights, please: In 1897, Dr. Philip O'Hanlon, a coroner's assistant on Manhattan's Upper West Side, was asked by his then eight-year-old daughter, Virginia (1889–1971), whether Santa Claus really existed.O'Hanlon suggested she write to The Sun, a prominent New York City newspaper at the time, assuring her that "If you see it in The Sun, it's so." He unwittingly gave one of the paper's editors, Francis Pharcellus Church, an opportunity to rise above the simple question and address the philosophical issues behind it.Church was a war correspondent during the American Civil War, a time which saw great suffering and a corresponding lack of hope and faith in much of society. Although the paper ran the editorial in the seventh place on the page, below even one on the newly invented "chainless bicycle", its message was very moving to many people who read it. More than a century later it remains the most reprinted editorial ever to run in any newspaper in the English language.In 1971, after seeing Virginia's obituary in The New York Times, four friends formed a company, called Elizabeth Press, and published a children's book titled Yes, Virginia that illustrated the editorial and included a brief history of the main characters. Its creators took it to Warner Brothers who eventually made the Emmy award-winning television show based on the editorial. The History Channel, in a special that aired on February 21, 2001, noted that Virginia gave the original letter to a granddaughter, who pasted it in a scrapbook. It was feared that the letter was destroyed in a house fire, but 30 years later, it was discovered intact.Some people have questioned the veracity of the letter's authorship, expressing doubt that a young girl such as Virginia would refer to children her own age as "my little friends". The original letter, however, appeared and was authenticated in 1998 by Kathleen Guzman , an appraiser on the Antiques Roadshow, at $20,000–$30,000.Virginia O'Hanlon's full married name was Laura Virginia O'Hanlon Douglas. She was born on July 20, 1889, in Manhattan, New York. Her marriage to Edward Douglas in the 1910s was brief, and ended with him deserting her shortly before their daughter, Laura, was born. She was listed as divorced in the 1930 United States Census.Virginia received her Bachelor of Arts from Hunter College in 1910; a Master's degree in education from Columbia University in 1912, and a doctorate from Fordham University. She was a school teacher in the New York City ISD. She started her career as an educator in 1912, became a junior principal in 1935, and retired in 1959.Virginia received a steady stream of mail about her letter throughout her life. She would include a copy of the editorial in her replies. In an interview later in life, she credited it with shaping the direction of her life quite positively.Virginia died on May 13, 1971, in a nursing home in Valatie, New York. She is buried at the Chatham Rural Cemetery in Chatham, New York.Every year, Virginia's letter and Church's response are read at the Yule Log ceremony at Church's alma mater, Columbia College of Columbia University.The story of Virginia's inquiry and the The Sun's response was adapted in 1932 into an NBC produced cantata (the only known editorial set to classical music) and an Emmy Award-winning animated television special in 1974, animated by Bill Meléndez (best known for his work on the various Peanuts specials) and featuring the voices of Jim Backus and Jimmy Osmond. In 1991 it was adapted into a made-for-TV movie with Richard Thomas and Charles Bronson. In 1996, the story of Virginia's inquiry and the The Sun's response was adapted into a holiday musical “Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus” by David Kirchenbaum (music and lyrics) and Myles McDonnel (book).In New York City, local television journalist Gabe Pressman has recounted the story each Christmas for the past thirty years.The last two paragraphs of Church's editorial are read by actor Sam Elliot in the 1989 film Prancer, about Jessica Riggs, a little girl who believes the wounded reindeer she is nursing back to health belongs to Santa. Jessica's story inspires the local newspaper editor, as Virginia's letter did to Church, to write an editorial which he titles Yes, Santa, there are still Virginias.On the exact 100th anniversary of the original publication of the editorial, The New York Times published an analysis of its enduring appeal.In 2003 "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" was depicted in a mechanical holiday window display at the Lord & Taylor department store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.In 2009, The Studio School in New York City, honored Virginia's life and legacy. Janet C. Rotter, Head of School, announced the establishment of the Virginia O'Hanlon Scholarship, speaking passionately about their commitment to offering need-based scholarships for students of merit.Virginia's descendants continue her legacy.

Lights, please: It is hard to find a mythical character who is at once so powerful, learned, philosophic, humble and amusing! Hanuman features prominently in the great epics of Ramayana and the Mahabharata.Hanuman met Rama and his brother Lakshmana while Rama was in exile in the jungle, and searching for his wife Sita who was abducted by Ravana. Their quest brought them near Pampa Lake at the foot of Mount Risyamukha, where the monkey king Sugriva and his ministers were hiding. Sugriva, who was being persecuted by his brother Bali, suspected that Rama and Lakshmana might have been sent by Bali to slay him. To find out the facts, Hanuman approached them in the guise of a Brahmin.Hanuman's initial words highly impressed Rama, and made him comment: "None can talk this way without mastering the Vedas. He has such a flawless countenance, a wonderful accent, and a captivating way of speaking. He has the ability to move even an enemy..." After he revealed his identity as the prince of Ayodhya, Hanuman fell prostrate before him in respect of the Lord. Rama picked him up and embraced him. There began the story of Hanuman, which is inextricably interwoven with Rama, and dealt with in detail in Valmiki's Ramayana and the Tulsidas' Ramacharitamanas.To cut the long story of Hanuman short, he then introduced Rama to Sugriva, and began his massive search for Sita. Finding out her whereabouts, he consoled Sita, and burnt down the city of Lanka. Hanuman then brought Rama to Lanka, fought the battle against Ravana with his simian army, and vanquished the demons. Hanuman's greatest feat was saving the life of Lakshmana by fetching the life-giving herb "Sanjivani" from the Himalayas. He flew fast towards the Himalayas, but unable to recognise the right herb, picked up the whole mountain on his hand and flew back to Lanka, just in time to save Lakshmana. Thereafter Hanuman served Rama forever.